Fluid meter



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. RUUD.

FLUID METER.

No. 451,882. Patented May 5,1891.

FIGJ.

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Tn: uonms uns co., mow-umol c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. RUUD.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR me noms news cu., mom-mno., msumcruu. n. u.

(No Model.)

l1 sh@Gta3- stuwt s) E. RUUD. FLUID METER.

No. 451,882. Patented May 5, 1891.

Fl GIB.

mvEnToR,

WITNESSES:

Tn: novum 1n-:ns co., wonrufun., msumamn, n. c.

' (No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 4.

' E. RUUD.

FLUID METER. No. 451,882. Patented May 5, 1891.

FIGA:

WITNESSES: INVENTOR,

UNITED STATES EDWIN RUUD, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEFUEL GAS AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FLUID-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,882, dated May 5,1891.

Application filed August 20, 1890. Serial No. 362,518. (No model.)

To zr/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN RUUD, a citizen of the United States, residingat Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented or discovered a certain new and useful Improvement in Fluid-Meters, of which improvement the following is a speciication. A

The object of my invention is to provide a double-acting iiuid-meter inwhich, under a simple and compact disposition of parts, continuousdelivery of iluid may be effected. by balanced pistons or measuring-cupshaving a rectilineal traverse and actuating valve, and registeringmechanisms through intermediate connections which are free fromstructural complication and adapted to be operated with a comparativelylow degree of friction.

To this end my invention, generally stated, consists in the combinationof a chambered casing, a series of pistons or measuring-cups each fittedto reciprocate in one of the chambers thereof, supply and exhaustpassages leading into each chamber on opposite sides of itsmeasuring-cup, and a vibratory transmitter coupled below thesealing-huid level to each measuring-cup and to ashaft operatxing thevalve and registering mechanisms. v

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through ameter embodying my invention at the line :c @cof Fig. 2 Fig. 2, a planor top view with the cap removed; Fig. 3, a horizontal section at theline 'y y of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a side view, in elevation, of thetransmitter; and Fig. 5, a plan or top view of the same.

In the practice of my invention I provide a casing which is preferablyof cast metal and is composed of a lower section 1 and an upper section1, connected by bolts passing through iianges on the abutting faces ofthe sections. A series of measuring-chambers 5 is formed upon the uppersection 1, said chambersbeing closed at top and open at bottom andprojecting downwardly into the lower section 1. A valve-chamber a issecured upon the top of the upper section and an inlet or supply-nozzle6, adapted to be connected to a fluid-supply pipe, leads into oneciprocates in'each measuring-chamber 5, are

side of the valve-chamber. A valve-face 10 is formed upon the top ofeach of the measuring-chambers, from each of which faces a fluidreceiving and delivery passage 11 leads into the top of the subjacentmeasuring-chamber. A similar passage 12 leads from each valve face toand downwardly along the casing to the bottom thereof, and thenceextends lupwardly in the adjacent measuring-chamber 5 for a sufficientheight to enable its open upper end to be cleared by a piston ormeasuring-cup 13, which is fitted to reciprocate in said chamber whenthe measuring-cup is at the lower limit of its traverse. An exhaust-port9, located in each valve-face between the openings of the passages 11and 12, opens into an exhaust-passage S, extending around the inside ofthe casing-section 1, above the measuring-cups, said passagecommunicating with a lateral outlet-nozzle or delivery-passage 7,adapted to be connected to a fluid-delivery pipe.

rlhe measuring-cups 13, one of which re light metallic shells, closed attheir upper and open at their lower ends, and are of corresponding formto, but of slightly less dimensions in transverse section than, themeasuring-chambers 5, so as to work freely therein, their truerectilineal movement being insured by vertical guide-rods 14, held attheir ends in the tops of the measuring-chambers and in the bottom ofthe casing and fitting lateral recesses in the measuring-cups.

The upward and downward movementsv of the measuring-cups are effected bythe presslure of the iiuid admitted on their upper and lower sidesthrough the passages 11 and 12, respectively, and their traverse is madecoincident and equal in range by coupling them below the level of thesealing-Huid a in the measuring-chambers and central space of the casingto a transmitter 19, which is mounted on and adapted to vibrate aboutthe center of a spherical bearing 20, fixed upon the bottom of the lowercasingsection 1. The transmitter consists of a central hub, which issuitably recessed to lit freely over and move upon the bearing 20, and aseries of radial arms corresponding in number with the measuring-cups,each of the arms being coupled IOO at its outer end to one of themeasuring-cups by a connecting-rodv 23, which is attached by aball-joint 24, or equivalent swiveling connection to the top of themeasuring-cup. The lower end ot' each connecting-rod 23 is pivoted byapin 23"L to a block 19h, havingastem 19C, which is j ournaled in the armof the transmitter with its axis at right angles to that of the pin 23%This method of connecting the lower ends of the connecting-rods to thetransmitter, and the universal-joint connection of their upper ends tothe measuringcups, provides for all variations of relative positioninvolved by the peculiar movement of the transmitter effected by thoseof the measuring-cups, the movement of the transmitter being similar tothat of the piston of a disk-engine, its arms vibrating upwardly anddownwardly, and a central stem 19, with which it is provided, traversingin a conical path.

An equalizing-chamber 28 is fixed in each measuring-chamber, with itstop adjacent to the level of the sealing-duid, the equalizingchambersbeing preferably supported by the passages l2, to the upper portions ofwhich they are secured, and being, as in prior constructions, providedfor the purpose of reducing the error due to the depression andelevation, respectively, of the sealing-fluid on the inside and outsideof the measuring-cups.

The admission and exhaust of the fluid to be measured to and from theupper and lower sides of the pistons or measuring-cups 13 are effectedby slide-valves 30 of the recessed or D type employed in steam-engines,said valves being reciprocated on the valve-faces 10 and controlling theports 11, 9, and 12 thereof. Movement is imparted to the valves 30 byavalve-shaft 3l, journaled on bearings 32 in the casing and carrying onits lower end a crank 31, which is coupled to the upper end of the stem19 of the transmitter. A crank 34 is fixed upon the upper end of thevalveshaft 31, and the valves 30 are coupled by connecting-rods 35 tothe pin 36 of said crank, the valves being set to traverse at angles oneto the other in proper correspondence with the traverse of themeasuring-cups.

In order to increase or decrease the degree of traverse of themeasuring-cups as may from time to time be required, I provide for thelongitudinal adjustment of the valve-shaft 31 relatively to thetransmitter, so as to vary the range of circular movement of theconnection of the central stem of the transmitter with the valve-shaft,and thereby to correspondingly vary the range of vertical vibratorymovement of its arms. To this end an adj usting-sleeve 31h, having aninternal thread at and near one of its ends, which engages acorresponding thread on the valvestem, is fitted around the latterbetween the bearings 32, against which it bears through interposed endwashers 31C. The adjustingsleeve rotates with the valve-shaft, and bybeing turned thereon in either direction to the proper degree andthereafter fixed in position by a set-screw effects the longitudinaladjustment of the valve-shaft which may be required.

The registration of the measurement of fluid passing through the meteris effected by a registering mechanism of any suitable and knownconstruction, which does not in and of itself form part of my presentinvention, the same being located in a register-case 37, fixed upon thetop of the valve-chamber and having a main shaft 3f) journaled inbearings concentric with the valve-shaft and coupled thereto, so as torotate coincidently therewith, each revolution of the valve-shaft due tothe upward and downward traverse of the measuring-cups effecting arevolution of the register-shaft and correspondingly actu ating theconnected registering mechanism in the usual manner.

In the operation of the meter the fluid to be measured enters thevalve-chamber through the inlet-nozzle 6 and passes into one or more 'ofthe measuring-chambers.above the measurin g cup or cups thereof throughthe passage or passages 11 and into one or more of the chambers belowthe measuring cup or cups thereof through the passage or passages l2.The pressure of the entering Huid forces the measuring-cups up and down,respectively,

in the downward movement of each measuring-cup the fluid which haseffected its previous upward movement is discharged to theexhaust-passage and outlet-nozzle through the passage 12, theexhaust-cavity of the valve, andthe port 9.

I claim as myinvention and desireto secure by Letters Patentp 1. In afluid-meter, the combination of a lower casing-section, an uppercasing-section secured thereto and having a series of separateopen-bottomed measuring-chambers projecting into the lowercasing-section, avalvechamber fixed upon the upper casing-section andcommunicating with an inlet-nozzle, pistons or measuring-cups fitted toreciprocate in the measuring-chambers, a vibratory transmitter mountedcentrally between the measuring-cups and below the fluid-seal level,connections coupling the measuring-cups to said transmitter, avalve-actuating shaft having a crank coupled centrally to thetransmitter, fiuid receiving and delivery passages leading from thevalve-chamber into each of IOO IIO

ing-cups to the transmitter, a valve-actuating' shaft having a crankcoupled centrally to the transmitter, and an adj listing-sleeve engaginga thread on the valve-actuating shaft and abutting against fixedbearings to effect longitudinal adjustment of the shaft relatively tothe transmitter, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand.

EDWIN RUUD. Witnesses:

J. SNOWDEN BELL, R. H. WHITTLEsEY.

